A farewell to a bygone era, and a welcome to a new one

I’m getting behind with my posts again, although I shan’t bore you with what’s been keeping me from blogging. I’m part way through a write up of last Fridays’ day at the seaside, aka a day out in Hastings with West Kent CAMRA, but with six pubs involved, there’s a fair amount of detail to plod through. Instead, I want to reflect briefly on the passing at the age of 81, of Humphrey Smith, the owner of Tadcaster-based, Samuel Smith's Old Brewery. A controversial and divisive figure, in many respects, but also someone who steered this staunchly traditional, family business, through the troubled waters of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Those who have been through these times, in my case since the mid 1970’s, will be aware of the many changes that have occurred in the drink’s trade during this period.Whilst organisations, such as CAMRA, might have welcomed some of these changes, with hindsight the introduction of the 1989 Beer Orders, caused serious damage to the drinks trade. The…